Page 2 of The Selkie Santa

Noah. Quiet, handsome, self-contained Noah was Wyatt’s older brother, and the guy who manned the selkie fishing boat that hauled in the best catch from the bay, every single day. He delivered fish to Harper’s boss at very reasonable rates, never trying to rip anyone off. Some would say Noah Shortwater was the only decent, upstanding selkie in Motham City. Noah had dated her so-called friend Dina, who’d then gone and done the dirty on him. She’d traded him in for a wealthy werewolf and Noah was no doubt still pining for her.

It kind of broke a girl’s heart, the waste of a good guy on gold-digger Dina.

But at least Harper was free to gaze at him now without any sense of guilt. At least she’d ended it with Wyatt nice and clean and honest.

Except Wyatt wasn’t getting the message…

As if to prove that very point, Harper realized Wyatt had started to climb the trellis.

Oh, no-no-no-no! He probably wouldn’t hurt her—not intentionally. But if he landed his big drunk body on her, he’d flatten her. Being a mix of human and elf, Harper wasn’t built for being crushed by a drunken selkie. Sex was better when she was on top. No, scrub that, sex with Wyatt wasn’t much good in any position. He came too fast. All promises and no finesse. Foreplay was not a word in his vocabulary.

Anyway, he didn’t scare her, but she didn’t need him crushing her and slobbering all over her. And as for sex with Wyatt,thatwas never going to be on the agenda again, drunk or sober.

With that in mind, Harper ran to her bedside table, grabbed her phone, and called Noah.

Noah woke to the sound of his cell buzzing.

He groped for it and alarm hit his gut when he saw “Harper” flash up on the screen.

Alarm, and a little frisson of something else. After all, Harper was a free woman now—she’d given his brother his marching orders. That didn’t mean she’d look at him, though. When he went to the café soon after she split with Wyatt, she’d told Noah she was sick to death of selkies.

He guessed that had to include him.

He’d bought a serve of chowder, smiled tightly, and said he didn’t blame her. He’d buried his feelings since then. Why torture himself with wanting what he couldn’t have?

But that didn’t stop his heart from leaping when Harper phoned him. Even if it was probably because Wyatt was harassing her, yet again.

Sure enough, when he picked up, Harper’s sweet voice blurted, “Wyatt’s drunk and he’s about to climb in my bedroom window.”

“Fuck!” Noah had the bedclothes off and was pulling on his pants in a flash. ”Lock the window, okay?”

“I have, but I think he may have got stuck halfway up the trellis.”

“Stupid bastard. Okay, I’ll be there in a tick.”

It didn’t take Noah long to get from his boat, which was moored in the harbor, to Sweet Clams. There was no sign of Wyatt climbing up the old stone building, but as he got closer, he saw his brother lying on the ground, rolling around and groaning. And there, bending over him, was Harper, her silky curtain of blonde hair falling around her slender shoulders.

She looked up as Noah strode over. “I think he’s okay. Nothing broken. He didn’t fall far.”

“I’m dying, babe, I’m dying. I need the kiss of life,” Wyatt groaned.

“Shut up, Wyatt.” She straightened and gave Noah a rueful smirk. “Can you help him up? He’s too heavy for me.”

Noah’s gaze briefly skimmed over her body. He immediately wished it hadn’t. Seeing her in her nightdress, he felt the blood rush to his groin. The garment was teeny tiny, made of something that clung to her curves, and her breasts were spilling over the top.

Noah gulped hard. He was at risk of turning into another bloody Wyatt, ruled by his dick. Instead, he turned a stern frown on his younger brother. “Let’s get you out of here, you big doofus.”

As Noah pulled him up, Wyatt groaned and staggered. “I twisted my ankle as I came down.”

“Serves you fucking right. Shouldn’t have been climbing up there in the first place.” Noah slung one of Wyatt’s arms around his neck and looked back at Harper, standing with her arms crossed and her pretty mouth pursed. He kept his eyes resolutely on her face this time.

“Sorry Harper, I’d disown him if I could.” He grimaced.

“It’s okay, you’re nothing like him, Noah.”

“Yeah, we had different moms.”

“Really, I never knew…”

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